1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a tray assembly for a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a refrigerator is a household electric appliance for storing foodstuffs freshly and is divided into a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment. The freezing compartment stores the foodstuffs to be frozen such as meats and the refrigerating compartment stores the foodstuffs at a lower temperature.
Generally, the refrigerator is provided with a tray for efficiently utilizing a space in the refrigerating compartment, and for allowing the user to easily take out foodstuffs.
The tray can be inserted into and withdrawn from the refrigerating compartment.
And, the tray is designed in such a manner that cold air can be circulated in the refrigerating compartment and a liquid formed in the upper portion of the refrigerating compartment is guided to a lower portion of refrigerating compartment through a draining passage of the tray.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional tray assembly for a refrigerator 300 which is disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 380,279 issued to James F. Dasher, and entitled "Pull-Out Freezer Floor For Refrigerator And Freezers".
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the tray assembly 100 is provided with a base 110 which is installed on an upper surface of a bottom wall of a refrigerating compartment , a tray 120 which is slidably mounted on an upper portion of the base 110, and a plurality of rollers 130 which are interposed between the base 110 and the tray 120.
The base 110 is fixed to an upper portion of the bottom wall of the freezing compartment by a fixing means(not shown) such as a bolt, and a roller receptacle(not shown) into which the plurality of rollers 130 are installed is formed on the base 110. A plurality of roller guides(not shown) are formed on the base 110 in the longitudinal direction for allowing the tray 120 to be guided in a predetermined direction.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the tray 120 has a handle 180 at a front portion thereof for allowing the user to easily insert and withdraw the tray 120. The tray 120 is provided with a wall 190 at both sides thereof in order to easily store foodstuffs and in order to prevent foodstuffs from dropping from the tray 120 while the tray 120 is being inserted and withdrawn. The tray 120 has through regions 200 on both front ends thereof for draining a defrosted liquid or impuritier.
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the tray 120 and the base 110. Each of the roller guides which is formed on the base 110 is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval so as to facillate inspection and withdrawl of the tray 120 and so as to properly disperse a weight of the tray 120.
Roller channels 220 are provided at a lower portion of the tray 120, and the number of roller channels 220 is the same as the number of roller guides which are formed on the base 110. Taps 172, which are protruded in the downward direction of the tray 120, are provided at a back end of the roller channels 220, and the taps 172 are inserted into the plurality of the roller guides 10. The roller channels 220 coupled to an inside of the roller guides are slidably moved on the roller guides. A rotatable vertical roller 130 makes contact with an inside of the roller channels 220 which are mounted on a lower portion of the tray 120 so that the tray 120 can be slidably inserted and withdrawn with respect to the base 110.
However, in the conventional tray assembly 100 for a refrigerator, since the tray assembly 100 is shaken in the left and right directions while the tray assembly 100 is being inserted and withdrawn, it is very difficult to insert and withdraw the tray 120 smoothly.